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What will the criminals think of next?

Pegasus for Android — a new version of an existing malware that was called “the most sophisticated mobile attack ever found” when it first infiltrated the iOS world last fall — has now made the leap to Android devices.

And just like in a spy movie or TV show, this malware will self-destruct if it thinks it’s been discovered or otherwise compromised!

Take a closer look at Pegasus for Android

Back in August 2016, researchers first discovered Pegasus iOS. That particular strain of malware was being used by state-sponsored hackers to invade the privacy of political activists around the world, according to The New York Times.

But Pegasus iOS largely flew under the radar of both its victims and the broader cyber-security community for several years following its creation.

After its discovery last year, people began to wonder if and when an Android version would surface.

“It appears that Pegasus for Android will kill itself if it is unable to detect the MCC subscriber ID or finds it to be invalid. This is likely to prevent it from being run on test devices and emulator environments which may not be connected to a cellular network.”

Sounds like some hackers were watching way too much Mission: Impossible when they wrote the self-destruct code for this one!

Here’s how can you protect yourself

While Pegasus has not been found in the United States, it has been found as close as Mexico. That makes a jump across the border not entirely out of the question.